The Big Ten is one of the two premier conferences in modern college football, alongside the SEC.
And they have the recruiting prowess to back it up.
So far in the 2026 recruiting cycle, Big Ten teams claim the No. 2 (USC), No. 7 (Oregon), No. 9 (Ohio State), No. 11 (Michigan), No. 16 (Penn State) and No. 17 (Washington) spots in the national recruiting rankings.
That doesn't account for the fact that several of the aforementioned programs still have plenty of room to climb and Oregon has the nation's No. 1 recruiting class in terms of "rating per commit."
Here's a look at the top pledge for every Big Ten program:
Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois currently has a 23-man class that is flirting with top-25 status.
That’s good news for Bret Bielema’s program.
The top player?
Morgan Park (Illinois) four-star athlete Nasir Rankin, who is a top-100 prospect nationally.
The 6-foot, 180-pound do-it-all athlete chose Illinois over offers from Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, USC and others.
Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana is flirting with a top-25 class - a massive feat for the program following a College Football Playoff appearance last season.
Curt Cignetti appears to have things rolling in Bloomington.
The Hoosiers have five composite four-star recruits.
Best of the bunch?
It’s probably Naperville North (Illinois) four-star defensive lineman Gabe Hill, who generated double-digit offers, highlighted by Illinois, Iowa, LSU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Wisconsin and others.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa’s 2026 recruiting class is ranked just 52nd nationally, but still has room to grow with 14 commitments.
West (Iowa) four-star offensive tackle Carson Nielsen is the top-rated pledge in the group, as he’s the nation’s No. 240 overall prospect.
The 6-foot-7, 275-pound lineman held offers from Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Penn State, Tennessee, Wisconsin and others.
Maryland Terrapins
Maryland’s class consists of just 12 pledges and is ranked No. 12 nationally.
But a surge could be coming.
Why?
The Terrapins have wiggle room remaining and have shown they are willing to go all-in for top-tier talent.
St. Frances Academy (Maryland) five-star edge-rusher Zion Elee is the headliner of the class.
He’s the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite ranking.
Michigan Wolverines
A year after signing the nation's No. 1 prospect, Bryce Underwood, Michigan is flirting with a top-10 class nationally.
The headliner so far?
Gonzaga (Washington D.C.) five-star edge-rusher Carter Meadows.
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound athlete has immense upside given his frame, but will need to refine his technique and add strength.
Here's what 247Sports had to say about him as a prospect:
"Spider-like pass rusher with exceptional physical specs, but one where the sack total has yet to match the big-league potential. Can give opposing offensive tackles fits just with his stride length as he can run the arc and right into the quarterback. Has spent much of prep career attacking from a 5-technique in a four-man front. Wins more times than not with his top-flight athleticism as he pairs adequate get-off with slippery inside-outside agility, but further technical development will dictate pressure rate on Saturdays and beyond as he’s got the levers to chop and swipe his way around the corner like few others."
Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State's 22-man recruiting class is ranked No. 31 nationally and has solid depth - even if they don't have a top-200 prospect in the fold.
Their top "get" so far?
Booker (Florida) four-star athlete/wide receiver Tyren Wortham.
As a junior, the 6-foot, 175-pound pass-catcher registered 67 catches for 1,360 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Wortham chose Michigan State over offers from Auburn, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas State, Iowa and others.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota's class is a top-25 bunch currently with 24 pledges.
Jackson County Central (Minnesota) tight end Roman Voss is the headliner.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound athlete chose to stay home despite a serious push from the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Voss is a great sign of program health and progress for P.J. Fleck's program.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska made a big splash when it landed five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola.
That momentum has clearly stalled, as the Cornhuskers rank last in the Big Ten in recruiting class rankings this cycle.
With 12 commitments, there's plenty of room to climb, but this feels like a make-or-break year for the program's momentum on the field and in recruiting.
The First Academy (Florida) fours-star cornerback Danny Odem is a top-100 recruit, but Clemson, Michigan and others are circling.
Northwestern Wildcats
Northwestern isn't a traditional recruiting power, so it's no surprise their 17-man class consists of 17 three-star pledges.
South River (Maryland) wide receiver Jaden McDuffie is probably the headliner.
He generated nearly 20 scholarship offers.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State has arguably the top two players in all of college football currently on the roster in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs.
That's hardly a surprise, as the Buckeyes are a perennial national recruiting powerhouse.
Ohio State, again, has a top-10 class - with a pair of five-star recruits.
The headliner is Mater Dei (California) wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., who is the No. 5 player in the country according to ESPN.
Oregon Ducks
Dan Lanning's program doesn't have the most commitments in the country - just 17 compared to 30-plus for No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 USC.
But the class is No. 1 nationally in terms of "average rating per commit" by almost a full point.
That makes it difficult to name a headliner.
Oregon has a nation-leading 5 5-star commitments - and could add a sixth if wide receiver Jalen Lott bumps up a spot or two.
The composite rankings view Georgetown Prep (Maryland) five-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho as a top-10 player nationally.
But there's so much depth.
Bishop Gorman safety Jett Washington is a lengthy, fluid superstar who is the nephew of Kobe Bryant. St. Paul's Episcopal (Alabama) edge-rusher Anthony "Tank" Jones is a freakish edge-rusher. Reidsville (North Carolina) tight end Kendre Harrison is nearly a five-star recruit in both football and basketball. Oaks Christian (California) defensive back is arguably the most versatile defender West of Texas.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State has a top-20 class with 24 commitments.
It's a solid group from top-to-bottom that lacks an absolute singular standout.
Still, there's a lot to like in the group.
The headliner is Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) four-star offensive tackle Kevin Brown, the nation's No. 60 overall prospect and No. 4 offensive tackle.
While the 6-foot-5, 270-pound lineman is still a little way back from five-star status, he has upside and generated offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame and others.
Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue has 19 commitments - all three-star prospects.
Trotwood-Madison (Ohio) defensive lineman Jamarcus Whyce has nearly 30 scholarship offers, highlighted by Auburn, Missouri, Notre Dame, Tennessee and others.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers has a top-35 class so far - a good showing.
Louisa County (Virginia) four-star wide receiver Dyzier Carter is an Under Armour All-American selection.
He committed to Rutgers over early offers from Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Tennessee and others.
UCLA Bruins
UCLA's biggest two recruiting splashes in recent years are a pair of quarterbacks: Dante Moore (now at Oregon) and Nico Iamaleava.
This cycle, UCLA's class cracks the top-25 (so far), led by a quartet of four-star prospect.
Leading the group is Tabor Academy (Massachusetts) edge-rusher Carter Gooden.
The versatile 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive lineman took official visits to North Carolina, Penn State and others before choosing the Bruins in early July.
USC Trojans
USC has the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class with 32 verbal commitments.
22 of those 32 commitments are bluechip prospects, but one stands out over the rest.
IMG Academy (Florida) offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe is a five-star recruit, rated the nation’s No. 7 overall prospect and No. 2 offensive tackle.
Over the past couple of years, Lincoln Riley has recruited a handful of five-star recruits from the South.
But none of them have remained committed through Signing Day - Xavier Griffin, Justus Terry and Isaiah Gibson come to mind.
Hanging on to Pepe would be a massive win for the Trojans, and it feels very do-able.
Mater Dei (California) tight end Mark Bowman is arguably the nation’s to player at his position.
Washington Huskies
After a complete rest to the program following a national championship appearance and a coaching change from Kalen DeBoer to Jedd Fisch, the Huskies look like a sleeper in the Big Ten this season.
While the class of 2026 won't help this fall, it's a group that is sure to excite fans in Seattle.
The nation's No. 17 class has eight bluechip prospects.
None are more important - or impressive -than Mater Dei (California) five-star offensive tackle Kodi Greene.
Originally a Washington prospect, Greene transferred to powerhouse Mater Dei in California.
After committing to Oregon, he flipped to Washington in what amounts to the program's biggest recruiting flex in several years.
The 6-foot-6, 320-pound lineman is a top-five pledge all-time for the program, behind only athlete Shaq Thompson (2012), wide receiver Reggie Williams (2001), offensive tackle Nathan Rhodes (2002) and quarterback Sam Huard (2012).
Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin's class is ranked outside the top-50 currently and has just two top-500 prospects nationally.
If that were to hold, it would be a bit concerning.
But with just 14 commitments so far, there's still plenty of room (and time) to significantly bolster the group.
St. John Neumann (Florida) bluechip wide receiver Jayden Petit held offers from Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee and others.